SWPA Case Study: The Silver Salisbury Group
The South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) previously worked with South West Community Matters, to award grants, through the Community Benefit Fund, to local groups and small charities based in the South West of England. The Silver Salisbury Group was a beneficiary of this Community Benefit Fund. The Chair of Silver Salisbury, Irene Kohler, also Salisbury’s Older People’s Champion, together with colleague Moira Packer, joined the South West team to present at SWPA’s annual Social Value and AGM Conference, in June 2024.
Silver Salisbury is a small, registered charity based in South Wiltshire. They work to reduce loneliness and isolation by promoting local groups and activities where older people will get a warm welcome. Research shows that overcoming isolation improves health and wellbeing, reducing the demand for health and social care services. 1-in-5 of Silver Salisbury’s audience aren’t on-line so there are a lot of printed publications to bridge that gap.
These are some of the ways Silver Salisbury encourages older people try new things, meet new people and make new friends:
An Autumn Festival: A two-week programme of special events for older people with a wide range of activities including tea parties, music, a Mobility Scooter Scoot, walks and talks.
- An Annual Directory: A printed, paper booklet of local clubs and support groups where older people will get a warm welcome. These groups are also listed on a website calendar for those that are online. Local health workers describe this as incredibly helpful, with one saying, ‘It’s my Bible!’.
- A Spring Newsletter: This has news and updates on new activities opening up for the summer.
- Hosting social events: These include monthly coffee mornings, talks and tea parties.
- Intergenerational projects: The most recent of these brought people together to share memories of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. The group created a story that was published in a book, ‘From King to Queen’. The group visited local primary schools to share the story and hear more about school life during the succession of King Charles III, when we changed from ‘Queen to King’. This book perfectly emphasises the group’s aim, to bring the community together in shared interests and to encourage people to try something new, whatever their age.
Along with their webpage, Silver Salisbury has a Facebook page. Additionally, find out more in regards to SWPA’s Social Value Strategy, produced by our Head Office, LHC Procurement Group.
